Sobieraj Diana M, Chen Aleda M H, Kelsch Michael P, Lebovitz Lisa, Spinler Sarah A, Ray Mary E
University of Connecticut, School of Pharmacy, Storrs, CT, USA.
Cedarville University, School of Pharmacy, Cedarville, OH, USA.
Am J Pharm Educ. 2023 Dec;87(12):100580. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpe.2023.100580. Epub 2023 Jul 31.
Pharmacy colleges and schools invest substantial faculty effort and financial resources in North America Pharmacist Licensure Exam (NAPLEX) preparation, including vendor products purported to improve NAPLEX pass rates. The objective of this project was to examine NAPLEX preparation program characteristics associated with first-time pass rates.
A national survey investigated which pharmacy schools provided a formal NAPLEX preparation program in the 2021/2022 academic year, and what resources students were required to use. Pharmacy school characteristics and the unique resources provided in NAPLEX preparation programs were separately analyzed for association with 2022 NAPLEX first-time pass rates.
The survey response rate was 71% (100 pharmacy schools). Of the 6 pharmacy school characteristics analyzed, offering a formal NAPLEX preparation program and private status were both weakly correlated with a decrease in the 2022 NAPLEX pass rate, while founding year of 2000 or earlier was weakly correlated with an increase in the pass rate. In a generalized linear model, a decrease in 2022 NAPLEX pass rate was associated with offering a formal NAPLEX preparation program (-5.90% [-11.55 to -0.23]) and with a 3-year accelerated curriculum (-9.15% [-15.55 to -2.75]). Of 12 resources required in NAPLEX preparation programs, 3 were weakly correlated with a decrease in 2022 pass rate: a vendor question bank, vendor review book/materials, and a live, synchronous faculty-led review. In a generalized linear model, a decrease in 2022 NAPLEX pass rate was associated with a live, synchronous faculty-led review (-6.62% [-11.16 to -2.08]). Among schools without a formal preparation program, NAPLEX pass rates consistently exceeded the national average in 2020, 2021, and 2022, while the proportion of schools with NAPLEX preparation programs and first-time pass rates above the national average dropped from 59% in 2021 and 58% in 2020 to 44% in 2022.
Simply implementing a NAPLEX preparation program is insufficient to overcome other systemic/programmatic influences of successfully passing the NAPLEX; programs should invest earlier resources to address NAPLEX competencies.
北美药剂师执照考试（NAPLEX）备考工作耗费了药学院大量的师资力量和财政资源，其中包括一些号称能提高NAPLEX通过率的供应商产品。本项目旨在研究与首次通过率相关的NAPLEX备考项目特征。
一项全国性调查探究了哪些药学院在2021/2022学年提供了正式的NAPLEX备考项目，以及要求学生使用哪些资源。分别分析药学院特征和NAPLEX备考项目中提供的独特资源与2022年NAPLEX首次通过率之间的关联。
调查回复率为71%（100所药学院）。在分析的6个药学院特征中，提供正式的NAPLEX备考项目和私立性质均与2022年NAPLEX通过率下降呈弱相关，而成立年份在2000年或更早与通过率上升呈弱相关。在一个广义线性模型中，2022年NAPLEX通过率下降与提供正式的NAPLEX备考项目（-5.90%[-11.55至-0.23]）以及三年制加速课程（-9.15%[-15.55至-2.75]）相关。在NAPLEX备考项目要求的12种资源中，有3种与2022年通过率下降呈弱相关：供应商题库、供应商复习资料/材料以及教师现场同步带领的复习。在一个广义线性模型中，2022年NAPLEX通过率下降与教师现场同步带领的复习（-6.62%[-11.16至-2.08]）相关。在没有正式备考项目的学校中，2020年、2021年和2022年的NAPLEX通过率一直超过全国平均水平，而有NAPLEX备考项目且首次通过率高于全国平均水平的学校比例从2021年的59%和2020年的58%降至2022年的44%。
仅仅实施一个NAPLEX备考项目不足以克服其他影响成功通过NAPLEX的系统性/项目性因素；各项目应尽早投入资源以解决NAPLEX考试能力要求的问题。
